Roundabout amusement apparatus.



F. E. MENDENHALL.

ROUNDABOUT AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1909. 965 644. Patented July 26, 1910.

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EOUIIDABOUT A PrLzouxo SEPT. 2%, 1909.

Patented =.u'2y 2a, 1910.

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WITNESSES ATTOR/ViYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK EVORY MENDENHALL, OF TILDEN, NEBRASKA.

:To all whom. it may conscrri:

a Be it known that I, FRANK E. AIl-JNDEN- Hanna citizen of the l'nited States, and a resident of Tilde'n. in the county of Madison and State of Nebraska. have invented a new and Improved Roundabout Amusement Apparatus. of which the following is a full. clear. and exact description.

This invention relates to rotary apparatus designed for the carriage of passengers for :mnrsementiand popularly known as merry 'go rounds =The purpose of my invention is, to provide novel details of construction for an apparatus of the character indicated, that 'adapt it for manual rotation, and control of the rota vniorenient. so as to render the machine safe in operation; and a further object of my intention is. to so construct 0 operative details of the apparatus. that friction will be greatly reduced. and the ma- -chine adapted for manual propulsion with -.the exertion of moderate efi'ort.

- partly sectionalside View of the Working parts. taken substantially on the line 33 in' Fig-Q; Fig. 4 is a partly sectional plan *yiew, substantially on the line 4.: in Fig. "3 and Fig; 5 isa partly sectional plan View,

, substantially on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Asshowndn the drawings, 10 represents apos't'that'i's preferably cylindrical in form,

R-OUNDABOUT AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

V Specification of Letters Patent. Patentedquly 26, 1910. Application filed September as, 1909. v Serial'll'o. 519,966.

per corner. forming a race-way a for a plu- A bonnet 15,

rality of bails b to occupy. consisting of a top plate 0 from which a circular, flangedepends, is loosely mounted on the bearing block arid balls I), and as shown in Fig. 3. the parts described provide a ball bearing for the support and rotation of the bonnet on the post 10. Y

A circular hub plate 16, having a central bore of a diameter to loosely receive the post 10, is mounted upon said post. The hub plate 16 is provided with a plurality of spaced radial arms 16, four appearing in the drawings, and in the hub plate and saith-' arms socket recesses are formed for'there ception of thesumlar elongated arms" 1?,

that are inserted in the sockets at their inner ends and secured by bolts d sc that all'are On the top plate 0 of the bonnet 15. a cir-- disposed horizontally.

cumfercntialfiange c is formed,having four spaced perforations therein, through which the upper ends of four hanger rods 18 are upwardly inserted and secured by nuts 0*. 30

From the top .plate 0, the hanger rods 18 are downwardly extended, and respectiyely arei inserted down through a perforat on meat-h}: short arm 16, wherein they are secured by ,4 nuts 0, that engage their threaded-loner:

ends, as is shown in Fig. 3.

In an annular recess formedin the 'upperfl side of the hub plate 16. a collar 10, which is formed or secured on the post- 10, isseated,

and at equal distances apart, and from th center of the ,hub plate four circular fiat bottomed recesses are formed,- whereinttour similar anti-friction rollers 19 are centrally pivoted, that have a loose contact at their peripheries with a like surface on the collar 10", as shown 'in Figs. 4 and 5.

On the upper ends of four pivot studs '9 that project 'vertically from the hub-plate 16, equally distant from each other, and near the edges of said hub plate, a cap plate 20 is mounted and secured in a plane parallel with said hub plate.

Upon the post 10, above the ra't'chefi toothed gear 13,,a cylindrical sleeveZl js secured.

On the studsg, four leters 22 arm-spa tively mounted near like ends of each one. and as is clearly shown in Fig. 4, a pawl toe h on the free end of an arm 23, pivoted on each' lever fll an equal distance from the corresponding stud g, meshes with the teeth on the ratchet-gear 13, said arms each being held in engagement therewith by a contractile spring 24.

Upon the pivot that supports each antifriction roller 19, and above respective rollers, an end of abrake lever is loosely s cured, each of said levers holding a brake block 2', that is disposed opposite the sleeve 21.

At the outer ends of each of the elongated arms-17, a suitable seat 17 is secured, which seats face in the same direction, for the occupancy of persons who desire to ride-on the apparatus; and to aid in supporting the weight imposed on the seats, four guy rods 26 are extended down from the flange c on the bonnet 14 and secured at their lower ends u n the arms 17, respectively, as shown in Fig. 1. The levers 22 are given sutficient length to dispose their outer ends at the front of respective seats 17 for their rocking movement by persons who occupy said seats. Upon the remaining end of each from the sun,

cessive engagement of the child can easily rotate the seats 17'.

brake lever 25, a brake rod 25 is pivoted, and extended laterally therefrom toward a seat 17, the outer (indict each brake rod bea ing pivoted upon an upright lever 27, that is pivoted at its lower end on a respective arm 17 at the side of an adjacent seat 17 t In operation, the levers 22 are rocked in a horizontal plane, by persons occupying the seats 17, and cause a rotatable movement of the arms 17 and the seats 17', due to the suc pawl toes h on the arms 23 with the teeth of the ratchet gear 13. If at an time it is desired to decrease the speed c rotary movement had by the seats, these ridin in the seats may control the ra idity o motion by manipulation of the evers 27, so as to pull upon the rods 25.

Upon a standard 28, that is erected on the ,st .10 and projects vertically a suitable gistancma canopy 29 is horizontally supported, having such area as will fully cover and protect those who occupy the seats 17', this cover being removable at will, and thus may be dispensed with when the apparatus is placed under other cover such as a It will noted that the hub plate 16 and all arts carried thereon, are hung from the bsll bearing device on the upper end of the thereby reducing the friction ofthat a small It will further be seen that the engagement of the post 10, rotary movement such a degree,

rollers 19 with the collar 10 at equidistant points, steadies the motion of the machine, and prevents lateral swayin motion, so that the pull of one lever 22 wi 1 move the machine as freely as if all the seats were occu ied by persons operating the levers.

bviously the number'ofarms and seats may be reduced, and the length of the arms may be changed t0 suit the situation occupied by the apparatus, so that it may be located on a lawn, or be laced on a porch or in a room, as may be esired.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A roundabout comprising a post, a cap mounted for rotation on top of the post, a plate having a hub encircling the post, said plate having recesses circular in cross section and communicating with the opening of the hub, wheels journaled in the recesses and engaging the post, arms extending radially from the hub, seats on the arms, a ratchet ring on the post, levers pivoted at one end on the hub and extending at the other adjacent to a seat, a pawl on each lever for engaging the ratchet ring, a spring normally ressing the owl into engagement with t e ring, and race rods arranged between the cap and the inner and outer ends of the arms.

2. A roundabout comprising a post, a cap mounted for rotation on top of the post, a

plate having a hub encircling the post, said.

plate having recesses circular in cross section and communicating with the opening of the hub, wheels journaled in the recesses and engaging the post, arms extending radially from the hub, seats on the arms, a ratchet ring on the post, levers pivoted at one end on the hub and eatendingat the other adjacent to a seat, a pawl on each lever for engaging the ratchet ring, a spring normally pressing the pawl into en tgament with the rin brace rods arrange tween the cap an the inner and outer ends of the arms, brake levers pivoted to the axes of the wheels, and means adjacent to each seat for operating one of said levers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK W031 IEKDEKHALD. Witnesses:

W. E. Baooax, H. W. Knmnnr. 

